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Topic: London Honky Tonk |
Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 22 Feb 2017 8:44 am |
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My little honky tonk band has a new website with a few tunes and some video. Not much old school country over here but we're playing regularly in and around London, UK. Come and say hello next time you visit!
www.eastlonesomedrifters.com |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2017 10:31 am
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Sounds great, Jonathan.
Are there many steel players in London (seems like a city of over 8 million would have better representation here on the forum)? I bet you have your pick of gigs -- you're rare and talented. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 23 Feb 2017 1:27 pm
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I've lived in the US for twenty years now and I wonder, too, how many players there might be in London.
Back in my day we were a tiny handful of guys who played for a living. I did, BJ Cole was another as were John Edmed and Pete Willsher. Vic Collins lived in Southend, I think (not quite London but close).
Ron Mawn used to work at the old Sho-Bud shop in Denmark St - he didn't play for his living but certainly played and was an invaluable resource helping some of us keep our steels working. Sadly, we lost Ron not long ago.
I really didn't know any others. Of course, out of town there were more - Ken Byng, Gerry Hogan, Dave Hartley, etc - but in London? Not too many.
I'm sure Jonathan will know more than I do these days. I wish him the best of luck in his endeavours.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 23 Feb 2017 3:28 pm
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Thanks! I'm far from the only steel player in town and there are plenty more talented than me. Not many professionals but quite a few in bands and some of us get together for small steel jams once in a while. There is an encouraging amount of younger guys who are really into playing pedal steel so I have no worries about the future of the instrument over here.
Most of the bands with pedal steel are americana/alt country or rock, little in the way of old school country music. There is a very small audience for straight up honky tonk in the capital but we're trying to do our bit to open people up to the best of that music. At the small gigs we tend to play the response is usually very receptive.
We're getting a few gigs opening for touring US acts so if you know anyone thinking of coming over, please put them in touch  |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 24 Feb 2017 3:54 am
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Roger Rettig wrote:
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Vic Collins lived in Southend, I think (not quite London but close).
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He is a great player. He was in a band called the Kursaal Flyers. They even had a hit song with "Little Does She Know".
Did you ever see them, Roger?
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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John Roche
From:
England
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Posted 24 Feb 2017 4:06 am
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| I bought a ZB from him back in the 70s... |
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Alan Bidmade
From:
Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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Posted 24 Feb 2017 4:20 am
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Great stuff, Jonathan. Love the videos!
Can't quite make out the steel you're playing - is it still the old MSA?
Jonathan is quite right - there are a fair number of steel guitarists in the UK - but venues are not easy to find and the music over here in the UK is more niche than mainstream. There are steel guitar groups meeting regularly in various parts of the UK and there are also a number of annual steel guitar festivals. We also have some fantastic players who are of the highest standard. The UK steel guitar website is a valuable source of information and many players use both the UK and US sites for keeping in touch and the valuable resource they both provide.
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Ben-Rom #017 'Lorelei', Guild D25, Epiphone 'Joe Pass', Roland 40XL, Hilton VP
First name Alan, but known as Nick |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 24 Feb 2017 4:24 am
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I knew Vic a little bit. He actually finished up with my red-and-maple ZB S-10 that I'd traded for a new D-10 from the late Eric Snowball.
I believe the residue of that band (the Kursaal Flyers) are still together and go by the name 'The Ugly Guys' (!!!) They have some sort of internet presence so check them out.
I seem to have an impression of Vic playing a Sho-Bud these days but I'm not certain.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 25 Feb 2017 1:14 am
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Alan, I mostly play my Sho~Bud LDG at gigs now and use the MSA for rehearsals.
As far as I know the Ugly Guys are still going, I've never seen them. I think BJ still plays with Hank Wangford on occasion but he's always really busy with different projects. One of the best London based country bands I've seen is Steve & Ben Somers, Matt Park plays with them. I've just found out about a great act called Norton Money who are gigging with Greg Holme on steel.
As I say there are several terrific younger players in and around London doing great things on pedal steel that aren't strictly country. Perhaps that's another thread but to mention some names, Henry Senior, Harry Bohay, Joe Harvey-Whyte, David Rothon, Stephen Barlow are all gigging in bands and making really good music. Sorry if I forgot anyone - I'm sure there are more who I don't know and of course London is not the whole of the UK by any means. |
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